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MASON -- An Ingham County judge today blasted both sides in a series of lawsuits involving the state’s emergency manager law.

Ingham Circuit Judge William Collette directed most of his scorn at Highland Park Labor activist and indicted school board member Robert Davis and his Novi attorney Andrew Paterson, who have brought a series of lawsuits against various state agencies and officials. He dismissed one of the two Davis lawsuits that were in front of him today.

But Collette also blasted Assistant Attorney General Michelle Brya, who has represented the state in many of the cases, saying neither side in the legal disputes has been following proper procedures.

“I’m pretty well done with these cases,” said Collette, who told the attorneys he wants the lawsuits to proceed in a normal way, with a plaintiff’s complaint followed by a defendant’s answer, followed by agreement on a schedule and fact-finding known as discovery. Instead he gets “bizarre stuff” from both sides, Collette said.

Davis filed an amended complaint today in a suit against the Emergency Loan Board, Gov. Rick Snyder and Treasurer Andy Dillon. The suit alleges violations of the Open Meetings Act and the Emergency Municipal Loan Act in the recent appointment of Washington, D.C. attorney Kevyn Orr as the emergency manager in Detroit.

Collette was upset with Brya for filing motions to quash deposition subpoenas Paterson has sent to Snyder, Dillon and Orr.

“Does nobody have the right to find out anything” from your clients? Collette asked Brya.

But the judge was even angrier at Davis for telling the news media he had ordered Snyder and the others to sit for depositions. Collette said Paterson came to his office and asked him to sign subpoenas and he refused. “I don’t like it,” the judge said.

He also blasted Paterson for sending a subpoena to Orr’s former law firm, which is located out of state. Out-of-state subpoenas require a judge’s order.

“I’m fed up with this,” Collette said. “It isn’t going to work unless it’s done the right way.”

He gave the state 21 days to answer the amended Davis complaint and said he wants a scheduling order before discovery begins. Collette said if the state doesn’t feel Snyder or anyone else should be deposed, he’s prepared to hear those arguments at the proper time.

Earlier, Collette dismissed a Davis lawsuit alleging the Michigan House of Representatives violated the Open Meetings Act when it passed the new emergency manager law during the Legislature's lame duck session in December.

Davis, an AFSCME member who is under federal indictment accused of stealing from Highland Park Schools as a board member, alleged he and others who were in attendance were not given a chance to speak when a House committee took up the legislation. That was a violation of the Michigan Open Meetings Act, Davis argued.

Collette granted Brya’s motion for summary disposition.

The House "has the authority to establish its own rules and procedures," Collette said.

"If they violate them, it's a matter of internal policy," and the House can police itself, he said.

The fact three people did not get a chance to speak is not by itself a violation of the Open Meetings Act, Collette said.

Neither Davis nor his attorney was present for the 10 a.m. hearing. Paterson later apologized to the judge, saying he thought both cases were scheduled for 11 a.m. He said outside court he won’t try to get the case against the state House reinstated.

Emergency managers, appointed by the state to take control of financially distressed cities and school districts, have broad powers to cut costs and amend or terminate contracts.